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Gene Frenette: Jaguars' value to community: Exceptional

Jaguars fans are understandably dismayed about the team's dismal season, wondering just when this franchise is going to be relevant again. But if you ask Michael G. Robinson Jr. and his wife, Jessica, the Jaguars are big winners with their family.

That's because the Robinsons were beneficiaries of the Jaguars' hidden value. It's success not measured on a scoreboard, but in relationships established off the field that translates into a different sort of victory.

The Robinsons lost their 9-year-old daughter, Jaiden Scott, recently after a 14-month battle with leukemia. Yet just three days after her funeral, they were back at EverBank Field on Friday to thank the Jaguars for the significant time they took to brighten her life.

From the numerous visits to Wolfson Children's Hospital, to the gifts bestowed on Jaiden during a September birthday party at the stadium, coach Mike Mularkey and players Maurice Jones-Drew, Tyson Alualu and Paul Posluszny took a special interest in raising her spirits.

"These guys care about people, about human life," Michael Robinson said. "They have a sincere compassion, more so for children. They were always checking up on us and willing to lend a hand."

What the Jaguars did to uplift Jaiden is just one example of why the worth of an NFL franchise to a community cannot be measured in just Super Bowl trophies. In league circles, few teams go to as much trouble as the Jaguars to make a difference.

In 2012, the Jaguars have made 488 appearances in the community.

"I think as players we have an obligation to uplift people," said Jones-Drew.

At 2-11, and tied for the NFL's worst record, the Jaguars aren't getting a lot of positive attention. But to people in desperate need behind the scenes, they are often angels of mercy.

It could be linebacker Russell Allen serving as a Big Brother. Or defensive end Jason Babin and Blaine Gabbert separately taking 20 needy kids on a Christmas shopping spree. Or center Brad Meester’s family befriending Luke Akerstrom, the 6-year-old boy they inspired to walk again this year after enduring several seizures.

That's just a tiny sampling of the Jaguars improving Jacksonville's quality of life. Former owners Wayne and Delores Weaver have donated millions of dollars to several community organizations, setting an unprecedented standard for philanthropy.

Other charitable acts go unnoticed at players' requests. A decade ago, one anonymous Jaguar footed the bill for the funeral of a child whose life ended as an innocent victim of gunfire. If people knew the extent of how many lives the Jaguars touched, they'd understand that a team's value goes far beyond Sunday entertainment. In looking out for their fellow man, the Jaguars are actually one of the NFL's best teams.